A nostalgic journey to the past to relive the golden days of entertainment!

Monday, August 11, 2014

MY FIVE FAVORITE ROBIN WILLIAMS MOVIES

It is hard to believe someone who has made me laugh throughout my childhood and adult years is now gone. Robin Williams leaves behind a lasting legacy of wonderful work. I am not sure film ever fully captured his comic genius, but he made some memorable movies. Even the little supporting roles he had in crappy films like: Nine Months (1995), Night At The Museum (2006) and License To Wed (2007) were memorable. It is hard to pick out my five favorite Robin Williams movies, and again these are just my preferences. (I personally did not like 1997's Good Will Hunting). I think you will be surprised at what movies made my list of favorites:

5. RV (2006)Okay, the family comedy RV is not the greatest movie ever made, but it really showed a more family friendly comedy from Robin Williams. I didn't see this film in the movie theaters, but whenever it is on television now, I have to stop and watch it. Even though Williams plays a devoted father in the film, his comedy still comes out. A prime example is when he is talking "street" to some bullies bothering his son. Robin Williams made better movies, but I love watching this film of his to feel good.

4. WHAT DREAMS MAY COME (1997)This movie takes a whole other dark meaning with Robin Williams' apparent suicide. In the film, Robin Williams dies to find himself in a heaven more amazing that anything he dreamed of. However, his wife is missing, because after Williams died, his wife killed herself and went to hell. Williams, risks his life in heaven to save his wife from hell. The movie is amazing. It is unlike any movie I have ever seen. It is a very dark movie, while being a very optimistic movie as well.

3. JACK (1996)This comedy drama was directed by Frances Ford Coppola. William plays the role of Jack Powell, a boy who ages four times as fast as normal as a result of a disease, Werner syndrome, a form of progeria. What Williams brought to the role was ability to channel his inner child. The movie as a whole was not believable, but Williams really makes the role more realistic. He is also joined on screen by another comedy legend, Bill Cosby, who played his private tutor. It was great to see these comedic geniuses work together.

2. THE BIRDCAGE (1996)This film is one of Robin Williams' best comedies, and for the most part he played the straight man (no pun intended) to his over the top life partner (played by Nathan Lane). Armand Goldman owns a popular drag nightclub in South Miami Beach. His long-time lover Albert stars there as Starina. "Their" son Val (actually Armand's by his one heterosexual fling, twenty years before) comes home to announce his engagement to Barbara Keely, daughter of Kevin Keely, US Senator, and vice president of the Committee for Moral Order, who was played by Gene Hackman. The movie is a riot from beginning to end. If you only pick one Robin Williams comedy to watch as a tribute to his greatness, it should be this film.

1. ONE HOUR PHOTO (2002)Robin Williams should have wone the Oscar for this film. This role is unlike any other Robin Williams role. There are no laughs in this film. Williams is almost unrecognizable as a demure photo lab technician that sort of goes off the deep end as he becomes to attached to his customers. Williams plays Middle aged Sy Parrish, a technician at a one hour photo lab located in a SavMart store in a suburban mall. Sy is a lonely man, never having had any friends. He knows much about his customers through the photographs they have developed. But he knows more about the Yorkin family - specifically Nina Yorkin and her adolescent son Jake Yorkin, the two in the family who drop off and pick up the family's photofinishing - than anyone else, the family about who he is obsessed. I won't spoil anymore of the film, but Williams should have one an Oscar for this movie. Whatever demons Robin Williams had the caused this tragic end to a brilliant career never entered into his work in film. He could make us laugh, he could make us cry, and he could make us feel good when the lights in the movie theater came back on. Robin Williams was a brilliant actor, and these five films does not even scratch the surface of what an amazing career he had...

3 comments:

I managed several Walgreens over 20 years. When One Hour Photo came out the Photo dept was still very busy (before digital killed it) I watch this movie and told my employees that if the customers see this, they will think we are all psychos, he was that good.

And on his death, I couldn't help thinking "For god's sake Robin, do you know how many times I depended on YOU to keep me upbeat when I was down. I just wish I had a way to do the same for you". I guess that shows how much he meant to us, that I feel somehow that I let him down....

David: I was a HUGE fan of "Mork & Mindy," plus Robin's later works. I am very upset that he left us the way he did. I would have thought that he could have seeked help. I am terribly sad, and a bit upset with Robin Himself that he didn't.... Or at least find someone that could Help him!